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CHAPTER EIGHT

A WINTER MIST AND STORM

“Except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain,” Psalms 127:1. KJV

As the fall of 1775 drew on, the spirit of those inside Boston could hardly be any lower. The streets of Boston were so filled with wounded people the city itself became an open-air field hospital. Hundreds died unattended. The people were reduced to eating salt pork and dried peas.⁴⁷ (⁴⁷Peter Marshall and David Manuel, The Light and the Glory, Fleming H Revell a division of Baker Book House Company, Grand Rapids, MI., p. 292.)

Washington decided that his army would have to try to smash down the British defenses on Boston. He ordered his men to make hundreds of skids that held tightly bound bundles of sticks which would make a barrier as effective as a trench. One night, a ground mist completely covered the operation. A breeze was blowing inland; and, therefore, it carried the noise of their work away from the British. Eight hundred men labored all night placing the pre-assembled skids. God providentially provided the fog, the wind and the fact that no one noticed the construction and reported it to the British army. At dawn the reaction of the British was stunned amazement. One man wrote that the fortifications appeared more like magic than the work of human beings. A British army engineer said the work must have employed 15,000-20,000 men. Howe said, “The rebels have done more in one night than my whole army could have done in months.” Howe gave orders for two forces of two thousand men each to attack. But God providentially sent a violent storm which continued all night. In the morning, Howe declared that the rebels had been given too much time to strengthen their positions so he pulled his army back. Two weeks later, the British abruptly evacuated Boston, and gave up the city which they had held for a year and a half. Thus, the colonial army liberated Boston without the loss of a single soldier on either side.⁴⁸ (⁴⁸Peter Marshall and David Manuel, The Light and the Glory, Fleming H Revell a division of Baker Book House Company, Grand Rapids, MI., pp. 298-300.)

THE FOG:

On the day the Declaration was passed in Philadelphia, General Howe landed on Staten Island with the first of what would ultimately amount to an invading force of 55,000 men. By the morning of August 27, 1776, the British had nearly surrounded the Americans and had taken them completely by surprise. Then he gave the order to attack. The battle was fearsome for a time. Then it paused, and the Americans held their breath as they waited for the final assault. They were outnumbered more than three to one. They were low on gun power and expected soon to have the British fleet, which was now at the mouth of the East River, to sail up behind them and seal off all avenues of retreat. The American soldiers anxiously waited for the final blow. They expected Howe to move at any time but he didn’t. The American soldiers remained tense. The hours slowly ticked by, afternoon turned into evening and evening into night and still Howe did not attack. Some of the soldiers said that this was a miracle.⁴⁹(⁴⁹Peter Marshall and David Manuel, The Light and the Glory, Fleming H Revell a division of Baker Book House Company, Grand Rapids, MI., pp. 310-313.)

August 28^th began with a cloudy sky but little wind. The American troops braced themselves again for the final British attack. When the British brought down their mighty fist on the American army all would be over. The army would be defeated and the battle for independence would be lost. Toward evening God’s providential hand begin to be revealed. A cold pelting rain began falling and kept falling into the night. The rain came with a north east wind. Because of its direction, it prevented Howe’s fleet from entering the East River⁵⁰ and blocking off Washington’s retreat. (⁵⁰Peter Marshall and David Manuel, The Light and the Glory, Fleming H Revell a division of Baker Book House Company, Grand Rapids, MI., p. 313.)

Washington prayed for a long time and eventually conceived a plan. He decided to take his entire army out of the area by taking them across the mile wide East River in small boats. God providentially provided what was needed. The last reinforcements that Washington’s army had received were men that had practically grown up in small boats on the shores of Massachusetts Bay. They were expert oarsmen. All night, these men made the treacherous two-mile round trip. At first, they had to fight the stormy wind, but after midnight, the wind died down and the clouds departed. The oarsmen had to dip their oars silently into the water so the British would not be alerted to their escape.⁵¹ (⁵¹Peter Marshall and David Manuel, The Light and the Glory, Fleming H Revell a division of Baker Book House Company, Grand Rapids, MI., pp. 313, 314.)

The night became so clear and well lit by moonlight that the British soldiers could be clearly seen extending their trenches toward the American lines. Therefore, it was necessary to keep a line of men in the front positions so the British would not suspect a withdrawal. At one point the front line of soldiers got their orders mixed up and withdrew from the front. A half an hour later, Washington discovered that the men were not at their posts and ordered them back. Evidently, not a single British soldier had noticed.⁵² (⁵²Peter Marshall and David Manuel, The Light and the Glory, Fleming H Revell a division of Baker Book House Company, Grand Rapids, MI., pp. 314, 315.)

As the first hints of pink began to illumine the eastern horizon, the men grew very anxious. At least three more hours would be necessary to remove the remaining troops to safety. The sky above them was now cloudless, and all appearances were that it would be a clear day. A man that was there wrote the following words. “Those of us who remained in the trenches became very anxious for our own safety. When the dawn appeared there were still several regiments on duty. At this time, a very dense fog began to rise, and it seemed to settle in a peculiar manner over both encampments. So very dense was the atmosphere that I could scarcely discern a man at six yards distance.” The fog remained over them until the last boat, with Washington in it, departed. Then, it lifted. The shocked British ran to the shore and started firing after them, but they were out of range. Nearly 8,000 men had been extricated from certain death without the loss of a single life!⁵³ (⁵³Peter Marshall and David Manuel, The Light and the Glory, Fleming H Revell a division of Baker Book House Company, Grand Rapids, MI., p. 315.)

During the night, a woman that was loyal to the British (a Loyalist) saw the American soldiers escaping out of the British trap. She told her Negro servant to run and warn the British. The obedient servant did as he was told, but instead of finding Englishmen, he entered the camp of the German Hessians who were hired out to the English. The Germans could not understand what the black man was trying to tell them. In fear of waking up an English interpreter, for no reason, they decided to simply retain the black man until morning. When an interpreter finally received his message, the American soldiers had safely escaped.⁵⁴ ⁽⁵⁴Richard Wheeler, The Battle Of Long Island, VHS cassette, Mantle Ministries, Bulverde, TX.)

God certainly intervened by keeping the woman’s warning message away from the British.

Study Guide

Chapter Eight

1. Can a watchman or an army protect a city if God is not with them?

2. Should we find the most comfort in our police and army or in God’s protection?

3. Do you walk around relaxed, knowing that God will take care of you?

4. How did Washington hope to protect his soldiers when he attacked the British Army?

5. How did Washington’s soldiers get their defense set up without the British knowing it?

6. When Howe gave the orders for two forces of two thousand men each, to attack the American army, how did God providentially protect Washington and his soldiers?

7. Why didn’t Howe attack Washington after the storm?

8. How many soldiers were killed before Howe vacated the city of Boston?

9. How did God providentially protect Washington and his men at Staten Island?

10. What did Washington do before he decided to move his whole army across the river?

11. How were Washington’s last reinforcements a special blessing to Washington that night?

12. When the British finally realized that Washington’s men had escaped the trap, who was in the final boat to leave?

13. How did God providently keep the woman’s message from the British commander?